Barbed-wire fence



(No Meae1.

E. M. CRANDAL;

BARBED WIRE PEN No. 247,540. Patented Sept. 27,1881.

u. Finns Pholo-Liihognphnr. Washington. 0.1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. GBANDAL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BARBED-WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,540, dated September 27, 1881,

Application filed August 19, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. CRANDAL, of Chicago, Cook county, State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Barbed-Wire Fences, ofwhich the following is a specification.

In barbed-wire fences heretofore in use the form and construction of the barbs have been such that they constitute from one-third to one-fifth of the entire weight of the fence, thus adding materially to its cost,while at the same time complicated and expensive machinery is required for forming, applying, and securing such barbs to the fence-wire.

1n the present invention the fence-wires are twisted together into a cable, and the barb, which consists simply of a short flat strip of metal pointed at its ends, is held in between the two intertwisted fence-wires, the flat barbstrip being given a slight bend or kink near its middle, so as to form a shoulder, which at the same time prevents the barbs being either pushed out from between the wires or turned parallel with them. The barb-strips should be from one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch in width, so that the kink or shoulder will cfl'ectually prevent the barbs being turned from their right-angle position when held between the twisted wires.

It is obvious that the slight kink orshoulder does not add materially to the length or weight of the barb, while it serves to effectually hold the same in place between the wires, as, the barb-strips being fiat, the shoulder or kink has a broad bearing on the fence-wires, so as to prevent the barb turning in the direction of the fence-wires without prying the twisted strands apart, and the barb being flat and thin, it separates the two twisted strands very slightly at the place where it is thrust between them, which is a matter of considerable importance .where the wires are to be galvanized after the barbs are applied, as it renders it possible to securely unite the two twisted strands togetherthroughouttheir whole length by the spelter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view of a small portion of my barbed cable. Fig. 2 is a view of the barb, and Fig. 3 showsa modified form of the kink or shoulder.

(No model.)

In the drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A and A represent the two fencewires, which are twisted together to form a cable, and a is the barb, made of a thin, flat, short strip of metal pointed at its ends, and having a slight bend or kink, a, .near its middle, to secure the same in place between the fence-wires. This bend or shoulder a may be made similar to the form shown in Fig. 2 or that shown in Fig. 3. The latter I consider preferable, as some less metal is required in this form than the former, though if the barbs are applied by hand as the fence-wires are being twisted together, the former may be somewhat more convenient to put in place on the wires. The barbs should be inserted at such intervals between the twisted fence-wires that they will be so distributed as to point in different directions.

In my improved barbed fence the barb is of such form and manner of application to the fence-wires as to require the minimum amount of metal to make an effective barb, as the same may be not only very short but very thin, because the barb stands edgewise with the length of the cable, and consequently, though made very thin,is strong enough to withstand a strain in that direction, while the natural yielding or rotary tendency of the cable will prevent any strain at right angles thereto from breaking off the barbs. The barbs should be made of steel, and may be cut from a continuous strip on a diagonal line,in order to make the barbs pointed at each end. The barbs may be cut from a strip wide enough to make the length of the barbs at each cut, in which case the strips used should be from one-half to three-fourths of an inch wide; or they may be cut from a narrow strip equal in width to the width of the barbs, in which case the strip should not be over one-fourth of an inch in width. The kink near the middle of the barb may be formed at the same time the barb is severed.

I prefer to galvanize the cable after the barbs are applied, as all the parts are thereby united firmly together.

I am in this way enabled to make a very light and cheap barb-fence, as my barbs do not add materially to the weight of the cable,

and are very simple in construction and aptween the twisted strands of said cable, and

plication to the cable. having it slightbend, forming a shoulder near 10 It is obvious that only the shoulder or cenits middle, to hold the same rigid, substantral portion of the barb, which rests between tielly as specified.

5 the twisted wires, need necessarily be flat. EDWARD M. CRANDAL.

I claim Witnesses': lhe combination, with the fence-cable, of H. M. MUNDAY,

the flat straight two-pointed barb inserted be- T. EVERETT BROWN. 

